Tsujita L.A.: 99 Essential Restaurants 2013

The noodle craze that's been sweeping through Japan for the last decade has centered around tsukemen, a chewy mound of noodles served with a hyper-rich dipping broth, fortified with pork bone and bonito until it's as thick as motor oil. When Tsujita, a respected tsukemen joint in Japan, opened its first foreign outpost on Sawtelle, ramen lovers swooned — even now, the lengthy wait list for a table often rivals something out of the UCLA admissions department. (Making matters worse, ramen is served only during lunch, out of concern that the dish's popularity would overshadow the dinnertime kaiseki menu.) Still, the chefs at Tsujita L.A. take their craft as seriously as brain surgeons. Combine the slices of tender char siu and the quivering soft-boiled egg bobbing on the surface, and the elements of Tsujita's tsukemen bowl form the ultimate black hole of umami — denser, and more delicious, than any ramen you've previously experienced. 2057 Sawtelle Blvd., Sawtelle; (310) 231-7373, tsujita-la.com. Daily, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. & Sun., 6 p.m.-mid.; Fri.-Sat., 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Entrees $10-$19. Beer, wine and sake.